Alexandrina Miltcheva

Alexandrina Miltcheva (also spelled Alexandrina Milcheva or Alexandrina Milcheva-Nonova; born 27 November 1934, in Smyadovo) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano. Her career included leading roles at major European and American opera houses, and she is particularly associated with the mezzo-soprano repertory of Verdi, Rossini, Mozart, Bizet, French opera and Russian opera.

Career

Miltcheva studied singing in Bulgaria and worked with the Bulgarian composer and vocal pedagogue Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin. According to Operissimo, she sang Preziosilla in La forza del destino and Carmen in Paris in 1981, and made her first Eboli in the original French version of Don Carlos at the Palais Garnier in the 1986–1987 season. She also appeared at Carnegie Hall in Rigoletto with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti. In 2024, on the occasion of her 90th birthday, Miltcheva was awarded the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture's highest distinction, the "Golden Age" necklace, for her exceptional contribution to Bulgarian culture. At the same ceremony at the Sofia Opera, she also received the "Crystal Necklace" of the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance Professionals, an honorary diploma from the Sofia Opera and a congratulatory address from President Rumen Radev.

Recordings

Miltcheva's commercial discography includes complete opera recordings, concert works, song recordings and educational/accompaniment releases. Her name appears in catalogues under several spellings, including Milcheva, Miltcheva and Milcheva-Nonova.

Bizet: Carmen – Alexandrina Milcheva (Carmen), Nikola Nikolov (Don José), Liliana Vassileva (Micaëla), Nicola Ghiuselev (Escamillo); Sofia National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Ivan Marinov. Capriccio C51183. Verdi: Aida – Alexandrina Milcheva (Amneris), Yulia Wiener-Chenisheva (Aida), Nikola Nikolov (Radamès), Nicola Ghiuselev (Ramfis); Sofia National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Ivan Marinov. Capriccio C51198. Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina – Alexandrina Milcheva (Marfa), Nicola Ghiuselev, Dimitar Petkov, Todor Kostov, Lyubomir Bodourov, Stoyan Popov; Sofia National Opera Orchestra, Bulgarian National Svetoslav Obretenov Choir, Atanas Margaritov. Recorded in 1978; Capriccio C10789–91. Borodin: Prince Igor – Alexandrina Miltcheva (Konchakovna), Nicolai Ghiaurov, Nicola Ghiuselev, Stefka Evstatieva, Kaludi Kaludov; Sofia National Opera Chorus, Sofia Festival Orchestra, Emil Tchakarov. Sony Classical, recorded in Sofia in 1987 and issued in 1990. Puccini: Madama Butterfly – Alexandrina Milcheva-Nonova (Suzuki), Raina Kabaivanska (Cio-Cio-San), Nazzareno Antinori (Pinkerton), Nelson Portella (Sharpless); Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Bulgarian National Choir, Gabriele Bellini. Balkanton/Frequenz; Arts 47161-2. Leoncavallo: La bohème – Alexandrina Milcheva (Musette), Lucia Popp, Franco Bonisolli, Bernd Weikl, Alan Titus; Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Heinz Wallberg. Recorded in Munich in 1981; Orfeo C023822H. Gluck: Le cinesi – Alexandrina Milcheva, Kaaren Erickson, Marga Schiml, Thomas Moser; Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Lamberto Gardelli. Orfeo C178891A. Verdi: Messa da Requiem – Alexandrina Milcheva, Júlia Várady, Alberto Cupido, Nicola Ghiuselev; ORF Choir, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Leif Segerstam. Recorded live on 3 October 1980; Orfeo C210232. Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur – Alexandrina Milcheva-Nonova (Principessa di Bouillon), Raina Kabaivanska, Alberto Cupido, Dimiter Stanchev; Bulgarian Television and Radio Symphony Orchestra, Maurizio Arena. RCA Red Seal RD 71206. Rimsky-Korsakov: The Snow Maiden – Alexandrina Milcheva, Elena Zemenkova, Nicola Ghiuselev, Avram Andreev, Stefka Mineva, Stefka Evstatieva; Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Stoyan Angelov. Recorded in 1985; Brilliant Classics 94626. Rimsky-Korsakov: Boyarinya Vera Sheloga – Alexandrina Milcheva, Stefka Evstatieva, Stefka Mineva, Peter Bakardzhiev, Dimiter Stanchev; Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stoyan Angelov. Capriccio C10762. Mozart: Conservati fedele, K. 23 – Alexandrina Milcheva, mezzo-soprano; Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Rouslan Raychev. Balkanton/MIK Balkanton, 1980. Mussorgsky: Enfantines / In the Nursery / Kinderstube – Alexandrina Milcheva, mezzo-soprano; Svetla Protich, piano. Harmonia Mundi France HM B 151. Gershwin: Porgy and Bess excerpts – Alexandrina Milcheva, Ivan Konsoulov, Nikola Smochevski; Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Alexander Vladigerov. Capriccio, 2004. The Best of Gershwin – includes Summertime from Porgy and Bess with Alexandrina Milcheva-Nonova, Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Alexander Vladigerov. Resonance CDRSN3101. French Arias for Mezzo Soprano and Orchestra – Alexandrina Milcheva, mezzo-soprano; Orchestra of the Sofia National Opera, Nayden Todorov conductor. Music Minus One MMO4086, 2006.